Vintage market boasts inexpensive finds
Those who drive by 269 Burns St. in Somers on Saturday may believe what they see is an ordinary garage sale, but that would be a mistake. A longer glance would reveal something different entirely.
Two Flathead Valley friends have joined together to start the Vintage Whites Market, a sale with "vintage-inspired" vendors and booths once a month throughout the summer and early fall.
"It's awesome finds for super cheap," said Vanessa Pleasants, one of the partners in the market.
For now, the market takes place at Pleasants' house on Burns Street. If successful, the partners hope to move to another location to be able to expand next summer. The market typically will have 12 to 15 vendors. Somers was an ideal location, near Flathead Lake and with little competition from farmers markets or related events, the partners said. The first market took place in May.
"It went really, really well," Pleasants said. "We met our goal for total sales and everyone who came by got something."
One family that visited the market in May came all the way from Wallis, Idaho, after hearing about it online. That's one of the primary ways the two women are spreading the word about the market — through a website, www.thevintagewhitesmarket.com, and partner Jana Roach's own blog, twigdecor.blogspot.com. Other bloggers have also picked up on it and featured it.
Both women developed a passion for vintage goods from others. Pleasants had a friend whose decor inspired her, and Roach used to tag along with her mom on excursions and later came to appreciate it more and more.
Roach came up with the idea for the market as Pleasants was brainstorming plans for a store but didn't have a location to house it. The two, who met in Sandpoint, Idaho, and then reconnected once they both moved to the Flathead Valley, decided to go for it.
"It builds excitement and it's just a little more fun to make each event special," Roach said about spacing out the market to just once a month.
Both Pleasants and Roach work with furniture themselves and have an eye and interest in antiques and custom-made pieces.
"We both really like white and everything vintage," Pleasants said. "White decor, furniture, anything."
Pleasants' mom, Sandy Hohf, makes specialty cupcakes that are sold at the market. Other items available include homemade goat's milk soap, vintage and antique books, jewelry and other unique finds. It also includes a place to sit down, eat cake and drink an espresso.
Most of the markets will take place on the third Saturday of the month, except for the July market, which will happen the Fourth of July weekend. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Roach and Pleasants encourage coming out early to snag the best finds.
Interested vendors can fill out an application on the market's website.